Musical Silence

[Peter1953]

Whilst listening again to the gorgeous Piano Sonate by Benjamin Dale, it struck me once more that in the slow movement (Theme and 4 Variations) the music is so quiet, so serene and yet expressively and meaningful.
Another unsung example can be found in the opening of the Adagio of Atterberg's Symphony No. 6.
A very sung example? The heavenly Andante in Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2.

It's difficult to describe, but I hope you understand what I mean. Do you know some other examples?

[Alan Howe]

Sung: Beethoven PC5, slow movement; Elgar Sym 1 ditto.
Unsung: Raff Sym 3, slow movement.

[febnyc]

The slow section of Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 "Organ"

Andante Cantabile from Schumann's Piano Quartet in E Flat Op. 47

Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No.1 In D Major Op. 11

Late addition in unsung category:  Romance for Violin and Orchestra by Andreas Hallén.

[Amphissa]

 
Myaskovsky 'Silence' op. 9

Allais 'Funeral March' for the last rites of a deaf man, consisting of 24 measures of entirely blank music manuscript, except for a whimsical tempo mark of "Lento rigolando"

John Cage '4:33'

  Pardon my humor.

More seriously, I find this in much of the music written for solo instrument and a great deal of chamber music. Of note: Bach's suites for solo cello, Satie's solo piano music, Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp minor, etc.

[Alan Howe]

Actually, with the Cage, you're much more likely to hear things which are nothing to do with silence - e.g. whatever distracting ambient, nearby or distant noise happens to occur when his 'piece' is being 'performed'. Of course, this may be the point, but the strange irony is that a much greater sense of stillness and silence can be produced by the creation of something rather than nothing.

That made sense when I wrote it. Honest!

[JimL]

The slow movement of Joachim's VC 3.  The Romanze from his Hungarian Concerto is almost as good.

[chill319]

I feel a sense of poise and radiant inner stillness in some of Duruflé's choral music.

[eschiss1]

Actually, with the Cage, you're much more likely to hear things which are nothing to do with silence - e.g. whatever distracting ambient, nearby or distant noise happens to occur when his 'piece' is being 'performed'. Of course, this may be the point, but the strange irony is that a much greater sense of stillness and silence can be produced by the creation of something rather than nothing.

That made sense when I wrote it. Honest!

Far as I know, that is the point.

[Alan Howe]

I said it was probably the point - but the Emperor's birthday suit is all-too visible...

[Peter1953]

Myaskovsky 'Silence' op. 9

Allais 'Funeral March' for the last rites of a deaf man, consisting of 24 measures of entirely blank music manuscript, except for a whimsical tempo mark of "Lento rigolando"

John Cage '4:33'

  Pardon my humor.

How about Satie's Vexations? A simple silent theme to be played 840 times in succession... 

[Kriton]

It's difficult to describe, but I hope you understand what I mean. Do you know some other examples?

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but I reckon there's no really good way to describe it. What strikes me as being silent (while: solemn) is the short fragment of a chorale stated after the main theme (Hauptthema - how does one translate that in English?) in the recapitulation of the 1st movement of Bruckner's rather unsung "0th" symphony (the one in D minor). Every time I get to that point, I wonder why Bruckner didn't make this his official 2nd symphony... It is, in fact not silent in the "physical" sense, since it involves a lot of brass, but the effect it has on me is something of a standstill. It probably has to do with the rest of the music contrasting by conveying a feeling of urgency throughout.

I remember the violist of the Fitzwilliam String Quartet quoting T.S. Eliot when writing on the trio of the scherzo movement of Schubert famous cello quintet: "At the still point, there the dance is" - but that's the opposite of unsung. Very appropriate, nonetheless!

[Peter1953]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but I reckon there's no really good way to describe it.

I realize how difficult it is, the more because English is not my native language and I find it quite often very hard to find the right words to describe different shades of meanings.

Maybe I need to give an example. I know of no better, significant piece of silent music, full of expression and emotion, than the 3rd movement of Brahms's PC 2. It starts after some 3 minutes when the piano enters. And then, more in particular, after 7 minutes a passage of 3 minutes starts with an extremely serene dialogue between the piano and a wind instrument, followed by a dialogue with strings. The final minutes are also 'very silent', almost a peaceful dying...

I'm sorry that I cannot find other words to describe precisely what I mean. I guess there are more examples of unsung 'silent music'.

[chill319]

Peter, I hear some of that serene stillness as early as the slow movement of Brahms' sonata, opus 5. Hard to find that quality so richly realized in other composers. However, I would unhesitatingly nomnate the slow movement of Schumann's violin concerto in the same category, particularly as played by Kulenkampff and Capucon.

[Steve B]

Nice thread, Peter. I have finally identified a Nocturne by Dvorak, the memory of which has haunted me, off and on, for years: turns out it is an arrrangement of an early String Quartet; arranged for strings, by Dvorak himself, as the "Nocturne for Strings", op.40. After a solemn slow melody, it is transfigured into cascades of absolutely beautiful, forward moving, yet aching and yearning string sound. It conjures up the feeling of melancholy and yearning  that people seem to be describing on this thread. Anyone else know'love it?

Another slow movement that comes near to it(in fact it is ONLY a stand-alone slow movement) is Bruch's Romance for Viola and Orchestra, again with a haunting, yearning for the ineffable, melody.

Steve